Te Amo is often referred to as The King of Mexican Cigars.

Te amo is Spanish phrase loosely meaning "I love you."  Similar to the Italian, Ti amo.

This brand, surprisingly, is one of the top-10 best selling premium cigars brands in the United States according to a 1998 survey. Part of Te Amo's success is that its cigars are generally more affordable than premium brands produced in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.

Te Amo cigars are manufactured for Altadis U.S.A. Inc. under contract by Nueva Matacapan Tabacos in San Andres Tuxtla, Mexico. Nueva Matacapan Tabacos also produces the Matacan line of cigars, a more sweet and flavorful line of cigars that are very reasonably priced (e.g., 20 cigars, 6-5/8" x 42 gauge with natural or maduro wrappers for a price under $40 at Thompson & Co. Inc.)

Altadis is the world's largest marketer of cigars, selling over 2 billion cigars a year! Other cigars included in the Altadis portfolio of brands include: Don Diego, Flor de Copan, Henry Clay, H. Upmann, Matacan  (another Mexican brand), Primo del Rey, Romeo y Julieta Vintage, Royal Jamaica, and several other premium handmade lines. Domestic (U.S.) brands include: Dutch Masters, El Producto, Hav-A-Tampa, Muriel, Super Value... and there are many more machine made brands.


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This is a review of the Corona Gorda  Te Amo
Satisfaction, which is not linked here.
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Te Amo Satisfaction
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This is a 6-inch by 46 ring gauge Corona Gorda. This is long-filler cigar that is handmade in San Andres Tuxtla, Mexico. The wrapper is a light brown natural  color.

The wrapper, binder, and filler tobaccos are all grown in Mexico's famous San Andres Valley, where soil and weather conditions are not too dissimilar from those in Havana, Cuba. This area is well known for its production of a sun grown (i.e., not shade grown) variety of a Sumatra seed tobacco that has a light texture and a sweet yet peppery flavor.

This is a medium-bodied cigar, with some earth, spice, and wood tones. It burns slowly and evenly, and is very well constructed. I found no defects in head, barrel, or foot of the cigar. I first tried this brand over 15 years ago, before the brand was acquired by Altadis (in 1989). I used to smoke the Purito,  which is a small 4-7/8" x 30 ring gauge cigar.


Price and Availability
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I purchased this cigar at a local cigar shop/liquor store in Buena Park for $4.80 -- a premium price, but we have high tobacco taxes in California. If purchased online at J.R. Cigars (www.jrcigars.com), you should be able to buy a box of 25 cigars for about $60.00 U.S. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $81.25, or $3.25 per cigar.


Recommendations
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This is a cigar that I like to smoke with a snifter of Presidente  brandy (Mexico) or Christian Brothers brandy (California; fairly good and inexpensive). If I am drinking beer, I like to smoke this one with a Mexican ale like Negra Modelo.

I like Te Amo cigars and have never been enjoyed anything less than a good cigar from this manufacturer.


Recommended: Yes

Cigar Name: Te Amo Satisfaction - Corona Gorda
Cigar Rating: A solid performer
Price per cigar ($US): about $4